The USTR has primary responsibility for the administration of U.S. trade agreements. This includes monitoring the implementation of trade agreements with the United States by our trading partners, enforcing America`s rights under those agreements, and negotiating and signing trade agreements that advance the president`s trade policy. Beginning with the administration of Theodore Roosevelt, the United States became a major player in international trade, particularly with its neighboring territories in the Caribbean and Latin America. Today, the United States has become a leader in the free trade movement, supporting groups such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (later the World Trade Organization). [Citation needed] The United States has begun negotiating bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements with the following countries and blocs: Here is a list of free trade agreements in which the United States is involved. The parentheses indicate the abbreviation, if any, the composition, unless previously specified, and the date of entry into force. The United States has free trade agreements (FTAs) with 20 countries. These free trade agreements are based on the WTO Agreement and have broader and stricter disciplines than the WTO Agreement.

Many of our free trade agreements are bilateral agreements between two governments. But some, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, are multilateral agreements between several parties. Detailed descriptions and texts of many U.S. trade agreements can be accessed through the Resource Center on the left. The United States is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement) establishes rules for trade among the 154 WTO Members. The United States and other WTO members are currently participating in the Doha Round of Global Trade Negotiations for Development, and a strong and open Doha Agreement on markets for goods and services would be an important contribution to overcoming the global economic crisis and restoring the role of trade in economic growth and development. The United States is a party to numerous free trade agreements (FTAs) around the world. A free trade agreement is an agreement between two or more countries in which, among other things, countries agree on certain obligations that affect trade in goods and services, as well as the protection of investors and intellectual property rights.

For the United States, the primary objective of trade agreements is to remove barriers to U.S. exports, protect U.S. competing interests abroad, and strengthen the rule of law among the FTA partner(s). Removing barriers to trade and creating a more stable and transparent trade and investment environment makes it easier and cheaper for U.S. companies to export their products and services to trading partner markets. Free trade agreements (FTAs) help expand global trade opportunities for U.S. producers and exporters. Bilateral and multilateral trade agreements remove barriers to trade, reduce or eliminate tariffs, and promote investment and economic growth. Another important type of trade agreement is the Framework Agreement on Trade and Investment.

TFA provide a framework for governments to discuss and resolve trade and investment issues at an early stage. These agreements are also a way to identify and work on capacity building, where appropriate. FaS works with other U.S. government agencies and the private sector to not only negotiate new trade deals that benefit the U.S. Agriculture, but also to hold our trading partners accountable for their obligations under existing free trade agreements. The growth of international trade has led to a complex and ever-growing primary law, including international treaties and agreements, domestic legislation and jurisprudence for the settlement of trade disputes. This research guide focuses on the multilateral trading system managed by the World Trade Organization. It also contains information on regional and bilateral trade agreements, particularly those in which the United States is involved. U.S. and FTA partner countries: Australia; Bahrain; Chile; Colombia; DR-CAFTA: Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua; Israel; Jordan; Korea; Morocco; NAFTA: Canada and Mexico; Oman; Panama; Peru; and Singapore.

Other types of opportunities commonly found in free trade agreements include: The U.S. also has a number of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) that help protect private investment, develop market-oriented strategies in partner countries, and encourage U.S. exports. For more information about the resources listed above, see the Subscription Databases page of this research guide. Documenting a product`s origin or compliance with the rules of origin can make using the tariffs negotiated with the free trade agreement a little more complicated. However, these rules help ensure that U.S. exports, rather than exports from other countries, reap the benefits of the agreement. U.S. free trade agreements typically deal with a variety of government activities. One example is the reduction or elimination of tariffs imposed on all eligible products from the other country.

For example, a country that normally imposes a tariff of 5% of the value of the incoming good will abolish that duty on products originating (as defined in the FTA) in the United States. The United States has 14 free trade agreements with 20 countries and is currently negotiating regional free trade agreements with several others. How can U.S. companies identify tariffs on exports to FTA partner countries? Trade agreements can create opportunities for Americans and contribute to the growth of the U.S. economy. With which countries does the United States have a free trade agreement? If you have any questions about U.S. customs legislation and tariffs, please refer to the Law Library Customs Law (U.S.) Research Guide. For questions about non-U.S. countries regarding customs legislation and tariffs, consult the Law Library`s Customs Law Research Guide.

Source: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (Creative Commons License) The FTA tariff tool can help you determine the tariff or border tax that applies in the United States. . . .